"Pops!!!"
Sensing their father's presence disappear with their Observation Haki, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates, who were carrying out their captain's final order and fleeing towards the Moby Dick, all stopped in their tracks. They turned to look at the shattered plaza and let out cries of utter grief.
"Is Whitebeard dead?"
"He... he should be. I can't sense his presence anymore~!"
"Taking that hit head-on, even the World's Strongest Man would be turned into meat paste, right!"
"..."
The Marines also stood frozen in place, feeling a sense of bewilderment.
After all, the one who killed Whitebeard was not Justice, but a legal pirate.
Like them, the people of the world who were watching through the monitor den den mushi had indeed seen Whitebeard's death.
If the one who killed Whitebeard had been the Marines, the world would surely be cheering right now. Ordinary people would be celebrating the death of the strongest pirate.
But the one who killed Whitebeard was also a pirate.
That meant, one Whitebeard had died, but another person capable of killing Whitebeard had appeared!
The pirates' morale, far from being crushed, felt like a new wave pushing the old, a feeling of a new era.
This sea would likely become even more chaotic!
"Zehahaha... As expected of Link, such power is truly magnificent!"
The Blackbeard Pirates emerged from the collapsed main building. Teach looked up at the over two-hundred-meter-tall Wood Golem, feeling both ecstatic and wary.
But on the surface, he was complimenting Link.
Because he knew that whether he could reach the pinnacle of the world now depended on Link.
"Go ahead, Teach. Remember our agreement," Link said with a smile, not stopping Teach.
"Zehahaha... No problem. If you need anything in the future, just come find me."
Teach's face lit up with joy as he responded, then led his men toward the crater left by the palm print.
Due to the presence of the Wood Golem, and with the plaza now covered in cracks, the Marines didn't dare to get close, not even Sengoku and Garp.
However, the conversation between Link and Teach had caught the attention of all the powerful figures present.
Seeing the Blackbeard Pirates heading for Whitebeard's body, they were all very curious about Teach's actions.
Could it be that Whitebeard wasn't dead?
Impossible. The ability of Observation Haki to sense presence would never be wrong.
Then, what did he want to do to Whitebeard's body?
Could he be planning to desecrate the corpse?
"Bastard, what is that guy Teach going to do to Pops' body?"
The Whitebeard Pirates who saw this scene wished they could tear the traitor Teach to pieces.
But now that their father was dead, they couldn't stay here any longer. They had to carry on their father's will and return to the New World.
And so, the Whitebeard Pirates endured their grief, fighting as they retreated.
Akainu, meanwhile, led the pursuit of the Whitebeard Pirates, shouting to boost morale, "The purpose of the public execution was to eliminate the world's most evil bloodline! Whitebeard is dead now, but the son of the Pirate King is not!"
"Everyone, fight with me! Don't let them escape!"
Hearing this, the dazed Marines were jolted awake. They refocused on their goal and, wielding various weapons, chased after the Whitebeard Pirates.
Having lost their captain, the Whitebeard Pirates were immediately at a severe disadvantage.
"I'm going to get Pops' body back!"
Ace, having brought Bon Clay to Luffy, was about to turn back.
At that moment, a hand rested on his shoulder. Rayleigh said calmly, "If you go back now, you'll make Whitebeard's and everyone else's sacrifice for nothing!"
That one sentence weighed on Ace's shoulders like a mountain, preventing him from taking that step.
Rayleigh continued, "You've paid the price for your arrogance. Now it's time to pay your debts."
"With Whitebeard dead, the islands under his flag will become ownerless cakes, including Whitebeard's hometown."
"If you want to repay Whitebeard, then go protect his hometown and lead the Whitebeard Pirates back to their peak."
Ace bit his lip and said with a trembling voice, "What should I do?"
"With Whitebeard dead, you are the Marines' primary target."
Rayleigh said slowly, "As long as you leave here immediately, this public execution will be a failure for the Marines. Their morale will drop to freezing point, and fewer of your comrades will die."
"That's right, Ace! Leave with me!"
Luffy, who had been on the sidelines the whole time, quickly said, "The Merry can fly! We can leave right away."
"No, I can't abandon my comrades."
Ace shook his head and refused without hesitation, his expression firm. "If I die, I'll die with them."
Being rescued by the Whitebeard Pirates and their forty-three allied crews already made Ace feel incredibly guilty.
If he abandoned his comrades and left alone, Ace would truly have no face to see them again. His kingly disposition would be lost forever.
Rayleigh seemed to understand this and smiled faintly. "Then escort your comrades away. Reinforcements will be here soon."
After speaking, Rayleigh charged toward the surging magma with his sword and intercepted Akainu.
"Go!"
Perhaps having found a reason to live, or perhaps because Akainu didn't have time to taunt him, Ace chose to follow Rayleigh's advice. He took the Straw Hat Pirates to rendezvous with Marco and the others to escort their comrades away from Marineford.
"I can't just let you leave like that!"
A golden flash appeared in the air. Kizaru once again formed his signature hand sign, preparing to unleash his signature light beam attack.
At that moment, a voice reached Kizaru's ears.
"Don't move, Kizaru!"
On the mast of a nearby sailboat, a figure was sitting, having appeared there at some unknown time, pointing a pistol at Kizaru.
Looking at the figure, Kizaru couldn't help but lower his hands and pout. "How scary. When did a big shot like you get here? Benn Beckman!"
At the same time, Aokiji, who was also pursuing the Whitebeard Pirates, suddenly had a figure appear in front of him, forcing him to stop. His expression turned grave. "Red-Haired Shanks, why are you here?"
"Am I late?"
Shanks looked toward the plaza where the Wood Golem stood and muttered to himself. Then, looking at Aokiji in front of him, he said with a serious and commanding tone, "I... have come to end this war!"
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